Time measuring instrument



Jan. 12, F. L. EIDMANN EIAL 2,307,999

TIME'MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed April 26, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORJ'. Frank L. E idmann y Guzorga C. Engl 'TORN.

12, 1943- F. L. EIDMANN ETAL v TIME'MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed April 26,1939. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJ'.

FrnK

Eidrnann Guzorgz C. Engu ATTORNEY.

Jan. 12, 1943- F. L. EIDMANN ETAL TIME-MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed April26, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG? FIG.8

INVENTORJ;

L. Eidmann Frank y Ga.orgz C. Engl A TTORNEY.

Patented .Ian. 12, 1943 Frank L. Eidmann, Princeton, and George 0. En-

gel, Ridgewood, N. 1., assignors to General Time InstrumentsCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationApril 26, 1999, Serial No. 270,062

1 Claims. (or 194-45) This invention relates to improvements in timemeasuring instruments and in particular to mechanism which is adapted tomeasure a predetermined interval of time after the expiration of whichthe mechanism is inoperative.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a time measuringmechanism which sui t abel for use in parking meters.

A further object is to provide a timing mechanism which is fullyautomatic, that is one which does not require manual resetting normanual winding each time that it is operated.

A further object is to provide a parking meter in which the timeresponsive driving means functions only during the time interval whichis to be measured.

A further object is to provide a spring driven parking meter, the springof which will need.

winding only at infrequent intervals.

A further object is to provide a coin operated parking meter whichcannot be operated by undersized or oversized coins and which exposes tothe public view the last inserted coin which has caused or is causingoperation of the meter.

A further object is to provide a parking meter which indicates theunexpired parking time and which is provided with a secondary signal toindicate more clearly the expiration of a measured period.

A further object is to provide a parking meter having improved coinreceiving and coin escape- *ment means.

A further object is to provide a time measuring instrument suitable foruse as a parking meter which can be locked in a tamper-proof casing andwhich does not need to be manually operated or wound by the parkingpatron.

Other objects, features and advantages of our invention will becomeapparent from the following description.

--its operation immediately subsequent to that shown in Figure 4, thebottom portion of the latter two figures being broken away;

Figure 6 is an elevation of the coin exposing and escapement mechanismduring a stage of its operation wherein the escapement is being actuatedby a falling coin;

Figure '7 is an elevation similar to Figure 6 but shown during aslightly later stage in. the operation of the escapement mechanism; v

Figure 8 is a detail showing the braking mechanism. for the balancewheel and Figure 9 is a detailed side elevation of the mechanism shownin Figure 8. g

'The timing mechanism shown in the figures is adapted for use as aparking meter, in which event it is provided with certain additionalelementsvnot shown nor described herein, such as a suitable standard, acoin receptacle, a weatherproof housing, and a lock therefor to preventunauthorized access to the coin receptacle and the timing mechanism. Thehousing may be provided with windows on either side through which thescale and indicating hand may be visible, and also with a window forexposing the actuating com.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, reference numerals l0 and Hindicate box-like housing members which are telescoped together to forma dust-tight enclosure for the clockwork or driving mechanism of theparking meter upon which the meter mechanism is mounted. The clockworkmay be secured within the housing members by means of studs l2. Shaft l3extends from the clockwork through the front plate and is adapted to berotated by the clockwork at any suitable speed such as one revolutionper hour. Winding shaft It extends from the clockwork through the fronthousing member and has associated therewith the usual ratchet l5 andpawl IS, the pawl being biased by spring I! against the ratchet toprevent the main spring of the clockwork from unwinding. An arcuateclock dial i8 is mounted on the front housing member and a similar dialI9 is mounted on the rear housing member. A hollow shaft 20 is joumaledin the housing members and has afiixed to it, adjacent the front housingmember, wheel 2|, which may be knurled .or provided with a large numberof very small teeth. An indicator hand 22 is aflixed to the wheel. andcooperates with dial l8 so that as the wheel is rotated the hand willindicate the number of minutes remaining before expiration of theparking period. An indicator hand 23 is aflixed to the shaft 20 andcooperates with the rear dial l9. There is also affixed to the sameshaft, adjacent the rear housing member, a counterweight 24. In theposition of the hands 22 and 23, which is shown in Figures 1 and 3, thecounterweight 24 is elevated so that if the wheel 2| is free to rotate,the hands will be moved toward the starting position at the otherextremity of the dials.

A small-shaft 25 extends through the hollow shaft v2|) and at the frontend thereof has a shield 26 'afhxed thereto. Associated with the shieldis a ratchet 28 provided with stops 29 and 3|! at either end thereof,this ratchet extending through an arc of approximately ninety degrees.The stops are adapted to cooperate with a suitable member such as pawl4| to limit the rotation of the shield. A similar target 21 is affixedto shaft 25, adjacent the rear housing member, the shaft at this endalso being provided with a counterweight 3| which causes the shield toassume the position shown in Figures 1 and 3. If shield 26 is displacedin the clockwise direction as shown in Figure 5, the counterweight willcause it to swing back to the position shown in Figure 1 as soon as thepawl 4| is released from sition shown in Figures 1 and 5 the clockworkwill drive the wheel 2| in a counterclockwise direction as indicated bythe arrow. If the bell crank lever is rotated as shown in Figure 4 inthe -clockwise direction the pinion will be disengaged, from the gear 2|so that the latter may move freely under the influence of counterweight24. A spring 36, one end of which is at fixed to a pin 31 mounted on thefront housing member biases the bell crank lever in the counterclockwisedirection so that the two wheels 2| and 35 are normally in engagementwith each other. A pin 38 is located on the indicator hand 22 in such amanner as toengage the shield 26 when the indicator hand is rotated inthe clockwise direction by the counterweight 24. Counterweight 24 isheavier than counterweight 3| so that as shield 25 is rotated in theclockwise direction by the pin on the indicator hand, the counterweight3| is elevated.

Abell crank lever 40 is rotatably mounted on the front housing member atthe left of the wheel 2|, one arm of the bell crank having 9. turned upend 4| which serves as a pawl to engage ratchet 28 to hold the shield inadisplaced position and to hold the counterweight 3| in an elevatedposition after displacement thereof by the indicator hand. Spring 43 onthe bell crank lever urges the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.The other arm of the bell crank lever terminates in a projection 42which extends into the path of a pin 44 which is mounted on knurledwheel 2|. As the wheel 2| is rotated by the clockwork into the positionshown in Figure 1 it will be seen that the pin 44 displaces the bellcrank lever 48 in opposition to spring 43 in such a manner that the pawl4| is disengaged from the ratchet 28 allowing the shield 26 to move tothe left. A bell crank lever 45 is pivoted on the front housing at theright of the wheel 2|, one arm of which has the projection 46 which ex--tends out into the path of a pin 41 suitably pobell crank lever has ashoulder. 48 formed thereon which acts as a detent which engages thebent-over end 56 of bell crank lever 33. The spring 49 urges the bellcrank 45 in the clockwise direction so that the detent will engage thebent-over end 58 when the bell crank lever 33 is rotated downwardly, andwhen the knurled wheel 2| has rotated sufficiently far to the right sothat the pin 41 releases the detent, the spring 38 will cause the twowheels 2| and 35 to engage each other. The lever 58 is mounted on ashaft 58 and is biased upwardly by suitable means, the lever havinga'pin 5| formed on it so that the side of a slot 52 at the end of onearm of the bell crank lever 33 may engage the pin. Displacement of leverv5|! from the position shown will cause rotation of the bell cranklever. Shaft 58 may be iournaled in the front housing memher, or it maycomprise the shaft of a counter 53 which may be mounted on the housingmember to register the number of operations of lever 53.

A coin chute 88 is formed by plate 6| which is separted from a baseplate 59, mounted on the front housing member, by spacing member 62 andsecured thereto by screws 63, the plate 6| having an arcuate slot 64formed therein through which a pin 65 on lever 58 may extend, the end ofthe pin being in the path of a coin which is dropped through the chuteso that lever 58 will be actuated by the falling coin to operate themechanism. Toward the lower end of the coin chute a pivoted member 56 islocated on the front housing member, this pivoted member having threeinwardly turned projections 61, 68 and 59. and a counterweight 10. Aslot H is formed on plate 8| through which the projection 67 extends sothat a coin dropping through the chute will rotate the pivoted member66. As shown in Figure 1 a previously inserted coin is visible throughan aperture 12 on plate 6 the coin resting on the spacing member 62 andbeing held in position by projection 69 of the pivoted member 86. When afalling coin displaces the pivoted member 66 as shown in Figure 6 theprojection 68 releases the previously inserted coin which is allowed todrop out of the bottom of the coin chute into a suitable receptacle, theprojection 88 at the same time blocking the entering or actuating coinso that it may not follow the previously inserted coin into thereceptacle while the projection 63 is displaced. As soon as thecounterweight 10 has caused the pivoted member to return to normalposition the projection 58 is withdrawn from engagement with theactuating coin and the coin drops down to the position shown in Figure 1where it is held in place by projection 69.

An aperture 14 is formed on the plate 8| near the top of the coin chute,and the base plate 53 as shown at 18 in Figure 1 is cut away or recessedso that a coin reject lever 15 which is pivoted on I the front housingmember at I8 may be displaced by a falling coin into the cut away Orrecessed portion 18. A counterweight I1 is associated with the rejectlever I5 so that normally the position of this lever is as shown inFigure 2. If a coin of slightly less diameterthan the coins which areintended to operate the machine is inserted in the coin chute, thereject lever will cause it to be thrown out of the chute throughaperture 14. A coin of the correct. diameter, however, cannot passthrough the aperture and will continue its course through the coin chuteto operate the timing members I! and II to aflordaddltional protectionagainst dust and to prevent damage to the clockwork if the meter isopened. As the clockwork itself forms no part of my invention, it

is not shown or described herein except for the balance wheel 88 whichcooperates with the braking mechanism for automatically stoppingclockwork at the end of the measured interval. The braking mechanism andthe balance'wheel are shown in tails are omitted for thesake of clarity,the dotted lines in Figure 9 representing the usual front and rearplates of the clockwork in which the balance wheel stafl 8| may bejournaled, and which are here shown to be coincidental with housingmembers l and II, although in practice it may be more convenient to usea slightly difierent arrangement.

Non-rotatably afllxed to hollow shaft 2|] is a collar 82 from whichextends a wiper 83 in the form of a resilient U-shaped-member the freeend of which is bent over at 85 so that it may engage the periphery ofthe balance wheel. A plate 84 which is aflixed to and extends inwardlyfrom housingmember I0 is so positioned that as the indicator hand 22 isrotated in the counterclockwise direction, the laterally extendingportion 85 of the wiper will slide along the underside of the plate.At'a predetermined point in the course of rotation of the hand, the end85 of the wiper will slide from under the left end of the. plate 84 asseen in Figure 8, the U-shaped portion having been compressed duringsaid rotation, and will snap. into engagement with the balance wheel,thereby stopping the clockwork. When the hand 22 is rotated in theclockwise rotation, the extension 85 of .the wiper will slide along theupper surface ,of plate 84 and will drag along with it the balancewheel, giving it suflicient kick to set the clockwork again in motion;

If a synchronous motor, rather than clockwork be provided to drive thehand, the rotation of shaft 28 may be employed to actuate aswitch forFigures 8 and 9 in which other de' the engagement rotates the causesdetent 48 to release hold the bell crank lever 83 in displaced position.

The clockwise rotation of the hand and wheel 2| continues until pin 41engages stop 48 which constitutes one arm of bell crank lever 45. Thisbell crank lever 45 and bell crank lever 88 from its displaced position,permitting the pinthe motor. If preferred, the rotation of bell cranklever 4') beyond a predetermined position may be employed to produce thesame result.

With regard to the operation or my invention,

Figures 1 and 3 show the parking meter at a time when the clockwork isinoperative, due to the contact of wiper 83 against the balance wheel80. If

a coin be inserted in the coin chute 80 which is of smaller diameterthan that coin, such as a fivecent piece by which it is desired to causethe operation of the meter, the coin reject lever 15 will force the cointhrough aperture 14 so that tion, the

ion 35 to engage the wheel 2| and to rotate it in the counterclockwisedirection, the clockwork having been started by the action of the wiper88 on the balance wheel during the clockwise rotation of wheel 2| andhand 22. The pawl 4| permits the clockwise rotation of shield 26, butwhen the hand reaches the starting position, in this instance indicatedby the numeral 60 on dial l8, and reverses the direction of its rotapawl4| cooperating with ratchet 28 maintains the shield in the startingposition; Figure 5 illustrates the mechanism in the position wherein theengagement of pin 41 with stop 46 has just released detent 48. The handindicates that 60 minutes are available before expiration of the parkingperiod.

It will be noted that a plurality of tapped holes 51 are provided onwheel 2| into any one of which threaded pin 41 is adapted to be insertedto change the starting position of the hand 22 and consequently thelength of the parking period. If, for instance, pin 41 is inserted'inthe position adjacent to the sixty minute position shown in the figures,the pin 41 will engage stop 46 at the 45 minute position on the dial l8and detent 48 will be released at that point, causing engagement of theclockwork with gear wheel 2| at that position. Thus the parking periodmay readily be changed.

As the hand 22 is driven toward the zero posi!- tion on the scale, thepin 44 will come into engagement with projection 42, and at the zeroposition, the projection 42 and bell crank lever 40 will be displacedsufficiently to disengage pawl 4| from ratachet 28. The counterweight 3|will then cause rotation of the shields 26 and 21 to a position whereinstop 28 engages pawl 4|, in which position the shield covers thatportion of the scale to the right of the zero point. This position ofthe shield indicates that the parking period has expired, and themechanism is so arthe meter cannot be operated thereby. The entrance tothe coin chute is of such size as to prevent the insertion of coins oflarger diameter than those desired. It the correct type of coin be used,however, it will not pass through aperture 14, but will continue throughthe coin chute, forcing the counterweighted coin reject lever 15 intothe recessed portion 16 of base plate 58. As the coin strikes pin 85,the wheel 2| will be disconnected from the clockwork, permitting thewheel and hand 22 to move in the clockwise direction under the influenceof counterweight 24, the pin 38 on the pawl 4| riding oyer ratchet 28.

Figure 4 shows the apparatus at this stage of ranged that a few, minutesof overparking may be measured beyond the time paid for which featurematerially aids in the settlement of disputes concerning the extent ofoverparking, which may arise in enforcing overparking regulations.

. As the hand 22 approaches the negative 10 position on the scale, theextension 85 of wiper 83 approaches the left hand edge of plate 84, andat that position, the wiper will slip past the endof the plate intoengagement'with the balthe hand causing shield 25 to move with it andance wheel 80, whereby stopping the clockwork and conserving the energyof the mainspring.

Inasmuch as the clockwork is operative only in response to the depositof a coin, the tension of the mainspring will roughly be a function ofthe number of coins deposited. Therefore, in-,

stead of having to wind the mainspring of all the meters, irrespectivelyof, the extent to which they are used, at predeterminedregularintervals, any meter or group of meters need be wound itsoperation the hand being about half way to the starting position. As thebell crank lever 38is rotated by the falling coin in opposition tospring 88, the spring 48 causes shoulder 48 of bell crank 45 to engagethe projection 56 and to at intervals determined by the extent of theiruse, which is indicated by a simple inspection of the coin counter 53for any particular meter.

It is understooid that various changes and modifications may be made inthe timing mechanism shown and described herein without departing fromthe spirit of our invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A coin controlled parking meter comprising time responsive drivingmeans, a scale, a rotatable indicator hand for cooperation with saidscale, means for biasing said hand to one extreme position, said timeresponsive driving means nortime after the release of said detentwhereby said hand is maintained in displaced position until againreleased by said coin actuated means.

2. A timing mechanism comprising time responsive driving means normallyinoperative and adapted to be operative for a predetermined,

length of time, an indicator normally engaged by said driving means andadapted to be driven from a starting position to a predetermined displaced position and to be maintained in said displaced position duringsuch time that said driving means is inoperative, means forsimultaneously disengaging said indicator from said driving means andfor initiating the operation of said driving means, means for returningsaid indicator to said starting position, and means for causing saiddisengaging means to 'reengage said indicator. and said driving meanswhen said indicator has been returned to said starting position.

- 3.'A coin operated parking meter comprising normally inoperative timeresponsive driving means, a coin chute, a rotatable indicator biasedtoward starting position, a pivoted member, a pinion mounted on saidpivoted member and normally engaging said driving means and saidindicator, a displaceable member associated with said pivoted member andextending into said coin chute whereby a coin striking said displaceablemember will displace the same and cause disengagement of said indicatorfrom said pinion to permit said indicator to return to said startingposition, means to retain said pivoted member in displaced positionuntil said indicator reaches said starting position, and means to rendersaid -driving means inoperative including a braking .sponsive drivingmeans to the .means for defining said extreme position and forcausingrelease of said pivoted member from its displaced position sothat said wheel and said third pinion may engage each other whereby saidindicator hand will be driven by said time reother of its extremepositions.

5. A; timing mechanism comprising a primary rotatable indicator biasedtoward startingposition, time responsive driving means adapted to drivesaid indicator from said starting position to a predetermined displacedposition, a sec- .ondary indicator biased away from said startingposition, means to cause concurrent movement of both ofsaid indicatorsto starting position, a ratchet associated with said secondaryindicator, a pawl for cooperation with said ratchet to prevent rotationof said secondary indicator away from starting position, and meansassociated with member associated with said rotatable indicator I memberand adapted to stop said driving means when said rotatable indicator hasbeen rotated from its starting position to a predetermined displacedposition.

4. A coin operated parking meter comprising a supporting structure, anindicator hand adapted for movement between two extreme positions, a

wheel on which said hand is mounted, a pivoted member, time responsivedriving means, a shaft having a pinion mounted thereon and being drivenby said driving means, said pivoted member being journaled on said,shaft, 9, second pinion journaled on said pivoted member and engagingsaid flrst mentioned pinion, a third pinion asso-.

ciated with said second pinion and adapted to engage said wheel,resilient means associated with said pivoted member to maintain saidthird pinion in engagement with said wheel, means the drive gear .forthe indicator with said primary rotatable indicator for releasing saidpawl from said ratchet at a predetermined point in the path of themovement of said primary rotatable indicator whereby said secondarysignal may be displayed at a predetermined time.

6. A coin controlled parking meter comprising a coin. chute, a coinreceptacle, time responsive driving means, means for causing initiationof the operation of said time responsive driving means, said meansincluding a lever with a projection at one end thereof, said projectionextending into said coin chute whereby a coin moving through said chutewill actuate said lever, a window in said chute to permit inspection ofthe last coin actuating said lever, a pivoted member positioned adjacentsaid window, said pivoted member being provided with three projectionsextending into said chute and with a counterweight, one projectionnormally lying in the path of a coin and adapted to be displaced therebyto actuate said pivoted member, the second projection normally lying inthe path of a coin and adapted to hold a coin before said win dow, andadapted upon actuation of said pivoted member to release said coin, andthethird projectionnormally lying outside of the path of a coin andadapted upon actuation to be moved into the pathat a point between saidfirst and second projections to detain the actuating coin until saidsecond projection has released said exposed coin and has returned tonormal position wherein the actuating coin may be detained and exposedafter release by third projection.

a housing having therein a movable .element adapted to traverse a dialand actuated by a clock mechanism, of an operating apparatus including,a rotatabledrive gear to which the indicator is secured, a movableelement attached to the clock mechanism and adapted to engage connectingand disconnecting the clock mechanism, a reset- 7. In a parking meter,the combination with ting unit operatively connected with the driveoperated nect said gear of e indicator andbeing utomatically reset theindicator when the movable element is disengaged from the gear todisconmounted thin the meter and including a coin chute for receiving acoin, an operating means for moving the element to disconnect theindicator from the :olock mechaindicator from said clock mechanism, acoin chute assembly nism and to thereby permit the resetting unit tooperate to reset the indicator to a starting position, said operatingmeans having a. portion extending into the chute to be actuated by acoin passing through the chute, means for holding said operating meansin a position disconnecting the indicator and clock mechanism until theresetting operation is complete, and means for releasing the holdingmeans to permit the operating means to return to its original positionafter the resetting to again connect the clock mecha- 5 nism with theindicator.

FRANK L. EIDMANN. GEORGE C. ENGEL.

